Artist explains chocolate, tinsel performance metaphors
By Hope Nealson
Fmo'.TJ Reporter
Controversial performance artist kar
on Finley gave the reasons for smearing
chocolate on her body as well .is
thoughts behind some of her other out -
Pigeons art to a packed auditorium at
Condon School Thursday
Finley told the roughly two thirds fe
male and one-third male audience why
stie smeared chocolate, added red can
dies and draped tinsel on herself in her
recent performance at the Hull Center
During a slide presentation, hinlev
said the chocolate represented human
feces and women being treated poorly
m a male-dominated society. She said
the red candies symbolized that after
women are treated badly and feel bad,
they try to feel love. The tinsel meant
tli.it even after women .ire treated badly,
they still make themselves look good for
men and society
At her lecture, I'inlev also showed
slides ol past performances and artwork,
and commented on them.
One type of art I'inlev presented was
postpaid* with inscription* like "I shot
mvsolt because 1 loved you. II I loved
myself I'd lie shooting you " Another
read "We live in a world that loves to
kill beautiful things "
i inley showed a sliiie ol different
rooms she had set up in one 5,000
s(|uare- loot installation
One of the rooms had a spit her in
which the American and Ilritish flags
were hung side by side Upon entering
the room, participants were given a
glass of wine and invited to spit on the
flag of their i hoice
Government secrecy threat
to be addressed by speaker
A speech on growing gov
ernmental secrecy end the
threat it poses to the Consti
tution will he given Monthly
night at fl in 130 Columbia.
The speaker is Hill Davis, a
co-foundor ol the Christie In
stitute and tiiti deputy diret
tor of its West Coast office
Since its inception 15 years
ago, the Christie Institute
has worked to expose ques
tionable governmental poli
cies and a shadowy foreign
policy.
Topics that will he dis
cussed include hidden as
pects of the new world or
der, illegal covert opera
tions, the Iran-Contra aff.iir,
the RCCI and S&L scandals
Bill Davis
und the rule of drugs in the
intelligence community
In thu "womans room.' a naked
woman lav curled on .1 bed with leaves
and do.nl birds surrounding 11 Vanities
dotted the room with phrases like "I
make less than a man" and "I was not
exported to be talented" scrawled on
the mirrors I'mlev said when women
road the lines, their faces appeared he
bind tin' phrases
She said the makeup on the vanities
gave the message tit "put on vour lip
stic k, it's .ill you have
Male academics and intellects dorm
natr the art world, and emotions should
lie emphasized more, she said
We don't really value the intuition
and feeling process," Finley said
When 1 did go to art school, even,
Hung in art was male dominated." she
said She t iled the typical bent steel
sculptures commonly found in parks
"As .1 woman. I i .in fool vory woll and
show those toolings hv taking control ol
tin body, and not walking around like
Marilyn Quaylo," she said
I'm rdm rated and I'm going to use
my education
Alter graduating, l-'inlev wondered
what she could do as an artist m this
male dominated world, she said
I wanted lo contribute 1 wanted to
show a lemmist per spin live and intui
tive way an eipial sharing of the art
world and basically the political." Idn
ley said
Although her National Fndowment
for the Arts grant was revoked, Finley
said she likes the idea ol the NFA trying
to give money to artists Nevertheless,
Finley said she is suing the NFA lor tak
mg away her grant
Powwow to feature tribal dancing
By l isa Millegan
In iK.ii ! Reporter
from Salem tu Klamath falls, Native Arneri
i.ms from .ill over the statu will convene .1! the
liMU Ballroom Saturday night lor the Native
American Student Union's annual tall powwow
A .University tradition that's lieen going on lor
as long as NASI) Uo Director Modest,1 Mllithorn
can remember, the powwow provides exhibitions
of different styles ol tribal dam ing and a chance
to relax and have fun
"It's a gathering and a celebration ol our ( ill
lures," she said "It's a social thing where Indians
get together and just visit "
from 7 to 1 1 p m . parlieijiants at the free event
will be able to see performaiK es ol both "tradi
tional" and lam v" dancing, categories c oinmon
ly used at contests ot Native Amerii an dam tng,
Muithorn said
One difference between the two styles is the
varying types ol clothing the performers wear
Mintliorn said it is difficult to explain further dis
Unctions between the two categories without
showing first-hand what they look like
She -. mi individual darn ing costume stylus
also v• >rv widely from lriI><• to tr 11x• l-'or example,
Native American dam ets from Kustern Oregon
wear deer hides and hi .ids, while tlndr rounlfr
parts on the i ini wear costumes adorned w it It
shells
Kxperienr ed dam ers aren't the onK people that
will get a chance to perform at the powwow
Mint horn said the event will also fuature sooial
dam es where everybody, from children to senior
i iti/ens, will tie invited to participate
liven though the ballroom is usually packed lor
University powwows, Minthorn said they are
small compared to similar events m other areas of
the country
I went to a powwow this summer tli.it had
in prizes.' she said "II you're a good
dancer, you can make $.'00 to Sl.SOO at a pow
wow
Although money isn't involved. Minthorn is
. onfident that the University event will he a gre.it
success.
"Uc go to powwows to he with people." she
said "When you hit the powwow trail, you have
so many friends that you meet
-5^7 -i -
\l
SATURDAY
NOV. 23
G.
a production
TiCKI* OUTL JCT, EMU MAIN DE:
tural Forum
: MUSIC, and RECC -'RD GAR: • S'